Read Online Everlasting Light - A Civil War Romance Novella by Andrea Boeshaar - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Andrea Boeshaar
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dear friend’s shoulders, Alaina led her into the house. Leaving Jennifer Marie in the parlor, Alaina brewed a pot of tea. Minutes later, Mama McKenna joined them for a cup, fussing over Jennifer Marie as any concerned auntie would do but to no avail. Jennifer Marie could not be consoled.
“D–do you th–think Uriah’s in h–heaven?” she stammered in between sobs.
“I couldn’t say.” Mama McKenna spoke in gentle tones. “I didn’t know the man.”
“He was good and kind … the most wonderful man on earth. Why, Uriah hated the thought of killing— even killing Yankees. He was an upstanding, moral person who never even once tried to take liberties with me—even when I wished he would.”
Alaina couldn’t help smiling inwardly at the remark.
“Those are fine characteristics for a man,” Mama McKenna began, “but they don’t guarantee a home in Heaven. Only faith in the Lord Jesus Christ can do that.”
“Maybe Uriah was baptized as an infant like I was.”
“That’s a fine tradition, but if being baptized as an infant could save a person’s soul, our Lord would not have had to go to the cross and suffer for our sins.” Mama McKenna stood and fetched her worn, leather-bound Bible. Sitting back down, she ruffled through its delicate pages. “Here … listen to this. It’s from the third chapter in the Book of Romans. For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past … To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. ”
Looking up from God’s Word, Mama McKenna gave Jennifer Marie a warm smile. “It doesn’t say a person ought to be baptized in order to enter the kingdom of God, does it? It says that Jesus is the justifier for all who will believe in Him.”
“I don’t feel a bit better.” Jennifer Marie dabbed at her swollen eyes with a lace handkerchief. “I don’t know if Uriah believed that or not.”
“My dear, it’s not our place to judge.” Mama McKenna took hold of her niece’s hand. “But you can choose your eternal destination here and now.”
******
Alaina snapped from her musings as Michael’s house came into view. Walking up the stony dirt road, she smiled to herself, remembering how Jennifer Marie had accepted God’s free gift of salvation—His Son, Jesus Christ.
How fortunate you are, Jennifer Marie, to be in Heaven with the Savior.
“Well, look who’s come to pay me a social call.” Michael’s voice carried across the wintery brown lawn. He jumped from the two-foot ledge on which he’d been working and dropped his hammer. The left side of his white shirt sleeve was pinned halfway up, and Alaina marveled at how much Michael accomplished in spite of missing a limb. “If I knew you were coming, Lain, I would have set out the tea cakes in the parlor here.” His eyes twinkled with mischief before he nodded toward the scorched end of his home.
Alaina shook her head at him, wondering how he could make such a flip remark about something as dreadful as a burned-out parlor. “I brought you, Papa McKenna, and Zeke some soup.” When she reached the porch, she handed him the jar.
“How very kind, thank you. But you just missed your father-in-law. He started back to your place through the field several minutes ago.”
“I guess Papa McKenna will have his soup at home, then.”
Narrowing his gaze, Michael searched her face. Alaina turned away, brushing a few strands of hair off her cheek.
“You’ve been crying again.”
“What’s not to cry about?” She brushed off his concern, stepped onto the porch, and inspected the site for new repairs. “How are things coming along here?”
“Coming along fine, but very slowly. If I could finish boarding
“D–do you th–think Uriah’s in h–heaven?” she stammered in between sobs.
“I couldn’t say.” Mama McKenna spoke in gentle tones. “I didn’t know the man.”
“He was good and kind … the most wonderful man on earth. Why, Uriah hated the thought of killing— even killing Yankees. He was an upstanding, moral person who never even once tried to take liberties with me—even when I wished he would.”
Alaina couldn’t help smiling inwardly at the remark.
“Those are fine characteristics for a man,” Mama McKenna began, “but they don’t guarantee a home in Heaven. Only faith in the Lord Jesus Christ can do that.”
“Maybe Uriah was baptized as an infant like I was.”
“That’s a fine tradition, but if being baptized as an infant could save a person’s soul, our Lord would not have had to go to the cross and suffer for our sins.” Mama McKenna stood and fetched her worn, leather-bound Bible. Sitting back down, she ruffled through its delicate pages. “Here … listen to this. It’s from the third chapter in the Book of Romans. For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past … To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. ”
Looking up from God’s Word, Mama McKenna gave Jennifer Marie a warm smile. “It doesn’t say a person ought to be baptized in order to enter the kingdom of God, does it? It says that Jesus is the justifier for all who will believe in Him.”
“I don’t feel a bit better.” Jennifer Marie dabbed at her swollen eyes with a lace handkerchief. “I don’t know if Uriah believed that or not.”
“My dear, it’s not our place to judge.” Mama McKenna took hold of her niece’s hand. “But you can choose your eternal destination here and now.”
******
Alaina snapped from her musings as Michael’s house came into view. Walking up the stony dirt road, she smiled to herself, remembering how Jennifer Marie had accepted God’s free gift of salvation—His Son, Jesus Christ.
How fortunate you are, Jennifer Marie, to be in Heaven with the Savior.
“Well, look who’s come to pay me a social call.” Michael’s voice carried across the wintery brown lawn. He jumped from the two-foot ledge on which he’d been working and dropped his hammer. The left side of his white shirt sleeve was pinned halfway up, and Alaina marveled at how much Michael accomplished in spite of missing a limb. “If I knew you were coming, Lain, I would have set out the tea cakes in the parlor here.” His eyes twinkled with mischief before he nodded toward the scorched end of his home.
Alaina shook her head at him, wondering how he could make such a flip remark about something as dreadful as a burned-out parlor. “I brought you, Papa McKenna, and Zeke some soup.” When she reached the porch, she handed him the jar.
“How very kind, thank you. But you just missed your father-in-law. He started back to your place through the field several minutes ago.”
“I guess Papa McKenna will have his soup at home, then.”
Narrowing his gaze, Michael searched her face. Alaina turned away, brushing a few strands of hair off her cheek.
“You’ve been crying again.”
“What’s not to cry about?” She brushed off his concern, stepped onto the porch, and inspected the site for new repairs. “How are things coming along here?”
“Coming along fine, but very slowly. If I could finish boarding
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